My dad has about a million little sayings locked inside his head that he on occasion
shares with me in times of stress, pain, mistakes, or just to be funny. For example, I recently
shared the jewel “never fry bacon naked” with my roommate (who was fully clothed). She did
not necessarily appreciate it while jumping out of the way of the hot bacon grease that was
popping but I thought it was HILARIOUS. Anyway, my dad has a certain saying that has been
on my heart recently. It’s “don’t sweat the small stuff Alex, and guess what? it’s all small stuff”.
Now I feel like the world we are living in has a lot of BIG stuff going on, so I was
battling with this little anecdote of my father’s. I struggle with anxiety and I just kept thinking
about all the big stuff that I deal with daily. For one, we have a pandemic going on and I am an
ER nurse… that is kind of a lot. Also, this whole election season has been nothing but arguing,
stress and an avoidance of social media. There is family illness, work, finances, mental health,
etc. always happening, how can my dad say it is all small stuff?
This is the point when that still small voice of God’s reminded me “In this world you will
have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). In this moment I stopped
and thought. Oh. God, I had kind of forgotten about your part in all of this. All the sudden the
fact that “it’s all small stuff” made so much more sense.
None of this is to say that the struggles and pain of this life are not important or any less
real. As humans we go through so much suffering it almost seems like it will swallow us up
some days. But in the light of Christ and His sacrifice, I don’t need to be afraid. When I
remember the love and mercy of God the Father, it is all “small stuff”. Sickness will come and
go. God will remain. World leaders will rise and fall. God will remain. One day myself and
everyone I love will pass away. God will remain.
So, when I stop to contemplate this truth, the things that fill me with anxiety don’t seem
quite as overwhelming. The small day to day situations that usually stress me out don’t have the
power to phase me. I find myself embracing the joy in each and every moment instead of
thinking about all the things that could go wrong.
God doesn’t want us to live in fear. He invites us into this deep and vulnerable trust that
makes us remember we really aren’t in control. But how beautiful is that? To know the weight of
the world does not rest on our shoulders, but on His who created it. To be able to let go of the fist
we clench so tightly of the things we want. Because, if both our fists are closed and grasping to
the things of this life, we have no room to hold God’s hand. With all of that in mind, I invite you
today to take a step back and remember that God will not abandon us. That He is a good father
and good fathers take care of their children. And honestly, when compared to an eternity of
union with him, it is all “small stuff”.
- Alex Kerschen
